FathersVia Patrum

On the Imputation of Adam's First Sin · §10

Cap. IV opens: two distinctions — Adam's first sin; immediate vs mediate imputation

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Chapter Four. The Synod's Decree, and so Placeus's judgment, is set forth.

But so that the matter may become clearer, and no scruple may stick in the reader's mind, the Decree must be set forth in a few words, and what Placeus really thinks must be opened. The whole hangs on two distinctions: one of Adam's first sin, the other of its imputation.

And first, Adam's sin can be distinguished into first actual sin and first habitual sin. The former was Adam's act of disobedience, which passed away; the latter was the vice produced from that act, which remained in Adam after the manner of a habit, and was propagated from him, together with human nature, into all his posterity, Christ alone excepted. That this vice is truly sin, all who are not Pelagians acknowledge. That it is also imputed to Adam's posterity, and has the force of condemning unless it is forgiven, all the Protestant churches have hitherto believed with the highest consensus, as is plain from their Confessions. Therefore if the Synod's Decree is taken of the imputation of this first sin of Adam, Placeus holds it for most true and most equitable, and rightly judges the doctrine of those condemned who profess that they acknowledge this sin, yet contend that it is imputed to no one, however unbelieving. That there are those in this age who teach that, and even in published books, the most learned V. Walaeus, while he lived Professor of Theology at Leiden, is witness — in the letter prefixed to his work, written to Heinrich Flocken of Bremen.

But if by Adam's first sin his first actual sin is understood — which seems to me more likely: for that was absolutely first of all, and Adam is more properly said to have fallen by it than by his first habitual sin — then imputation must be distinguished into immediate or antecedent imputation, and mediate or consequent imputation. The former happens immediately — that is, not through the mediation of corruption; the latter happens mediately — that is, through hereditary corruption. The former precedes corruption in the order of nature; the latter follows. The former is held to be the cause of corruption; the latter its effect. Placeus rejects the former; he admits the latter.

Latin

CAPUT IV. Decretum Synodi, atque adeo Placei sententia, exponitur. Sed ut res fiat clarior, nullusque in animo lectoris scrupulus haereat, Decretum paucis exponendum est, quidque revera Placeus sentiat aperiendum. Pendet autem id totum ex duabus distinctionibus, una primi Adae peccati, altera imputationis illius. Et primum quidem Adae peccatum distingui potest in primum peccatum actuale, et primum peccatum habituale. Illud fuit actio inobedientiae Adami quae transiit; hoc fuit ab illa actione productum vitium, quod instar habitus in Adamo permansit, et ab eo una cum natura humana propagatum est in omnes eius posteros, uno Christo excepto. Hoc vitium vere peccatum esse omnes, quicunque Pelagiani non sunt, agnoscunt. Imputari etiam Adae posteris, et damnandi vim habere, nisi condonetur, omnes Ecclesiae Protestantes hactenus summo consensu crediderunt, ut ex eorum patet Confessionibus. Itaque si de huius primi Adae peccati imputatione Decretum Synodi accipitur, id pro verissimo aequissimoque habet Placeus, meritoque damnatam eorum doctrinam censet, qui hoc quidem peccatum se agnoscere profitentur, nulli tamen imputari, quantumvis infideli, contendunt. Esse enim hoc seculo qui id doceant, et quidem editis libris, testis est Doctiss. V. Walaeus Theologiae Lugduni Batavorum dum viveret Professor, Epist. antep. ad Henricum Flokenium Bremam scripta. Sin vero per primum Adae peccatum, primum eius peccatum actuale intelligitur — id quod mihi verisimilius videtur: nam et illud omnium absolute primum fuit, et eo magis proprie lapsus esse Adam dicitur, quam primo suo peccato habituali — distinguenda est imputatio in Imputationem immediatam seu antecedentem, et imputationem mediatam seu consequentem. Illa fit immediate, hoc est, non mediante corruptione; haec fit mediate, hoc est, mediante corruptione haereditaria. Illa ordine naturae corruptionem antecedit; haec sequitur. Illa corruptionis causa censetur esse, haec effectus. Illam Placeus reicit; hanc admittit.

About this text

New English, free to read. Open any section below.

English follows the locked 1661 Saumur Latin of Capita I–XIV partial through Man. Post. Caput IX (eph-ho / eph-ho pantes) before eph-ho / eph-ho pantes, reconstructed from IA PDF page images with Vision OCR and pdftotext as check. No modern English was copied. Cap. IX deepen+ remain.

Catalogue & scope

IA deimputationepri00lapl. Densify: Capita I–XII + Caput XIV + Man. Post. Cap. II–VI through Cap. X Rom. 5:14 tip. Not whole Disputatio; Cap. X Rom. 5:14+ / ~494 pp Disputatio remain.

Witnesses

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.